Watek-wheel



UMTED STAWENT OFFICE. f

JAMES P. COLLINS, on TROY, Naw` YORK.`

. WATER-WHEEL.

Specicatonformng part of Letters Patent No. 26,339, dated December `6, 1859; `leissu une 1860, No. 979. L. l

To all 'whom .'tma'y concern: i

Be it known that I, JAMES P. COLLINS, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a vertical section of a water wheel constructed according` to my invention. Fig. 2, a side view of ditto with a portion broken away. Fig. 3, a horizontal section of ditto taken in the line y, y, Fig. 1. Fig. t, a detached inverted plan of the wheel. l

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures This invention relates: to certain improvements in that class of water wheels which are generally known as turbine wheels.

The invention consists 1st, in the peculiar arrangement of the lighter plate for relievingthe step of the wheel shaft of the weight of the wheel and the pressure of the `water on the buckets of the wheels thereby greatly reducing friction. 2nd, in the arrangement of a packing ring so that it shall be sustained in its positlon by the casing, as hereinafter shown and described, for the pur.-

pose `of compensating for any irregular movement of the wheel or any lateral wear of the step, allowing the wheel to run nearly water tight, and at the same time causing but little friction. 3rd, in the rangement of the projection or ange of the buckets for the purpose of retaining the water within the wheel or preventing the water from being deflected upward asit strikes. the buckets. 4th, in the particular arrangement of a gage or regulator plate below the wheel in combination with the peculiar device, hereinafter described, which Operates it; whereby the discharge of a portion of the water is controlled or regulated without obstructing or in any manner changing the velocity of the remaining portion not thus acted upon by the regulator plate and thus causing the pressure and action of the water on the buckets of the wheel `to be relatively the same, whether the quantity of water to be used be more or less. 5th, in the employment or use of the dividing strip or annular ring inserted in the buckets at the Qing C, which is" plac cross bars a', attachedtothe bottom `of -cyl`` 1 inder A. The upperend ofthe shaft B,`has

eculiar arl point Of discharge, of thesalne` diameter e as` the regulator plate, when used in connection wlth 1t, to prevent thewater restingon the top of said plate, being thrownout laterally by centrifugal-force, thereby Obstructingthe discharge of water from the portionjof the buckets outside `of the circumference 1 of said regulator plate. e e y i u To enable those skilled inltheart tofully understand and constiuctyfmyinvention I will proceed to describeit. f M A, represents "a cylinder a, itted tightly `on` its upper end, and B,

` represents a vertical .fshaft which is tted centrally within the cylinderA,the` lower end of the shaft restig "on a step "or bear@ its bearing at thefcenterofa cross bar D. E, represents the wheeliwhich is secured `to the lower part of the shaft B. This y wheel is `formed of twofrinis or "annular ianches b, b', between whichthebuckets `are placed.` The inner` rim orI platelb,iis"

connected by a central plate d, withthe `hub or boss e, of the wheel, `and theouter grim or e plate b,`is connected tolrim orqolateQfbyl` `the buckets c, which are bolted"betweenfthe` two rims Z2, o.

The form or shape l of the` buckets c, is plainlyishown in`.Fig.`2.` The upper end of each bucketc, `has a lip or pro! jecting anch e, forme e e on it as shown plainly in Fig. 2.` These llipsorflanches" `project over the faces :ofthehbucketssufil l ciently far to prevent @the water from "being deected upward and` they keep? thel whole" of the water thatiirstlstrikes the buckets e l within the wheel and compelit to pass dow'rif` e.

the buckets. llf the "lips or fla-nches Le, were ward and be dischargediat thelower ends of@ having ahead" not employed there would be,"to 'a certain e extent, `a reaction'l against thedescending water in consequence oflthle water thatelirst strikes the buckets `bein deflected u ward and this resistancewoul ofcourse etract from the eifective power of the wheel. f

The cylinder-A,`1is formed of twojparts f, g, providedwith `flainjhes; h, at their abut-i` ting ends and securefdl` together by" "screw bolts. Between theftwo fianches 71., 1*.a1flat ring or annularplateFyisginter osedL This .i

ring or plate `F,has Aaffkrabbet"` ormed in under side anda-at its inner *edge,-and;th1s

.rabbet receives `alring ,*lwhich encompasses a flanch j, on the upper part of the wheel E see Fig. l. The flanch j, of the wheel is fitted snugly within the ring ,forming a water tight joint or as tight as may be, but said ring z', is allowed a certain degree of lateral play or movement in its rabbet and consequently if from any cause the wheel should be slightly eccentric in its action, said irregular movement will be compensated for by this movement or play that is allowed the rin lghe wheel E, it will be seen is within the lower part of the cylinder A, and the plate cZ, which forms a cover for the central chamber k, of the wheel. The plate 0Z, has two radial slots or openings Z, Z, made through it and an oblique plate m, is secured to the edge of each slot or openin said plates being attached to the upper si e of plate UZ.

G, represents a circular box which is permanently secured within the lower end of the upper part f, of the cylinder A, and the lower end of box G, is fitted around an annular flanch n, at the edge of the late CZ. To the outer side of the box G, curve plates 0, are attached, and the outer edges of these plates are secured to a rim or annular plate p, which ts snugly within the cylinder A. A horizontal plate g, connects the plate to the box Gr, and openings 7', are ma e through said plate. On the box Gr, and plate g, a cap H, is placed. This cap has openings s, made through it and by turning the cap H, the openings s, may be made to register with or cover the openings r, in the plate g The openings s, have each a slightly inclined plate. s', at one side, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, in order to serve as guides to the water. The cap H, is turned by an arm t, the inner end of which is connected with a pin u, on the cap, and the outer end connected with the lower end of a vertical shaft I, which is fitted in a tube v, attached to the cylinder A, see Fig.2.

The step C, which is a wooden cylinder is encompassed by a metal tube or cylinder w, which has two pins ax, ax, projecting horizontally from it at opposite points, as shown clearly in Fig. l. On this tube or cylinder a circular plate J, is placed, said plate being provided with a hollow hub which is allowed to slide freely on the tube or cylinder fw, and has oblique slots c', made in it in which the pins ax, ax, fit see Fig. 2. The plate J, is of such diameter that its edge extends to the center of the bottoms of the buckets c, of the wheel E. To one side of the plate J, a segment rack c', is attached, and into this rack a pinion cZ, gears, said pinion being on a shaft K, which extends upward by the side of the cylinder A, and is surmounted by a hand wheel e.

On the upper part of the shaft B, a circular plate L is placed. This plate is fitted within a flanch f', on the inner side of the cylinder A, and so as to run water tight, or as nearly so as may be. The space or chamber g, above the plate L, communicates with the upper end of a tube c', see Fig. 1.

M, is the flanch to which the induction pipe is attached.

When the wheel is in operation the pressure of the water within the cylinder A, against the plate L, will relieve the step C, of the weight of the wheel F, and also of the pressure caused by the action of the water on the wheel, and all water that may leak through between the edge of plate L, and the ianch f, escapes down the tube fv. The water is let on the wheel by adjusting the cap H, the plates 0, directing the water properly to the buckets c, of the wheel E. All water that leaks through between the box Gr, and the Hauch n, passes through the openings Z, Z, and escapes through the interior of the wheel. The discharge or escape of the water from the wheel E, is regulated by raising or lowering the plate J, which is done by turning the shaft K, the pinion cZ, on said shaft turning the plate J, which on account of the pins a", fitting in the oblique slots c', ofthe hollow hub b. By means of the plate J, the escape of water may be regulated as desired, so that the discharge may be commensurate with the height of the head of water, and the maximum power due to the head always obtained.

The wheel E, has a ring or annular plate AX, inserted in its buckets c, said ring being of the same diameter as the plate J. This ring A", prevents the water on top of plate J, being thrown out laterally by centrifugal force so that the discharge of water from the wheel at the outside of the plate J, will not be at all obstructed.

I do not claim as new the idea of relieving the step of all, or any portion of its pressure by means of a lighter plate, irrespective of the position in which it is placed, and the manner in which it is operated. Neither do I claim, as new the curved portion of the guides or deflecting plates, placed above the wheels, as this portion of them has been used by others. Nor do I claim any particular form or angle given to the lower portion of the buckets c.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the lighter plate L, in the particular manner specified and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement in the particular manner specified of the packing ring for the purpose set forth.

3. The arrangement, in the particular manner specified of the lip or projecting piece e, of the buckets for the purpose set forth.

t. The arrangement in the particular man- '26,339 L l "3y '11er specified of the regulating plate J in projecting lips or filanohes e, gage or regulatcombination With the peculiar specified de- 111g plate J and annulardivi ing plate A, vice for operating it, for the purpose set the Whole being constructed, arrangedarid w forth. i operating in the manner andfor the purpose p 5 5. The employment or usedof the dividing set forth. w i strip or annu ar rin@ inserte in the buckets, T I substantially as ard for the purpose set .JAMES P CQLLIB S" i. forth. Witnesses: t* 6. The employment for united use in one Ro'r. H. MCCLELLAN,

l0 Wheel, of the lighter plate B, packing ring z', J. M. LANDON. 

